NEPA’s Top-Notch Ice Fishing: A Popular Winter Pastime
During the deep winter months in NEPA, some take to the slopes. Some bundle up and enjoy a refreshing hike or sledding with the little ones on the neighborhood hill. And then there are those who venture out onto the ice in preferably single-digit temps, drill a few holes, drop lines and wait.
That’s ice fishing in NEPA – a pastime tailored to the heartiest of souls whose rewards take the shape of an old-fashioned fish fry, a hot pot of creamy chowder and a simple bit of bragging about the unfavorable conditions faced.
Wanna’ try? We rounded up some of the top ice fishing spots in NEPA. Grab your tip-ups, your bait (and your long underwear) and get out on that ice!
Wyoming, PA
This 165-acre lake located at Frances Slocum State Park is a popular spot for targeting crappie and other panfish through the winter ice. The lake also features stocked trout, walleye, perch, muskie, bass and plenty of easy access and parking.
Learn MoreHarveys Lake, PA
The mountain chill of the deep winter months turns this favorite summer destination into an ice fishing paradise. The natural, glacial lake offers opportunities for deep jigging and plenty of stocked trout, yellow perch, pickerel and walleye.
Learn MoreNorth Abington Twp., PA
Head to northern Lackawanna County for some of NEPA’s best ice fishing on this 198-acre lake located inside Lackawanna State Park. The lake features easy access, ample parking and plenty of trout, walleye, pickerel and largemouth bass.
Learn MoreHazle Twp., PA
Haul in your limit of native brook trout and stocked rainbow trout along with panfish and bass at this small, wooded lake located inside the Hazle Township Community Park in southern Luzerne County. Enjoy big parking lots and a walking trail around the lake.
Learn MoreBenton, PA
This expansive, 245-acre lake on Red Rock Mountain in Luzerne County is often one of the first to achieve fishable ice in NEPA. The popular lake inside Ricketts Glen State Park features healthy populations of stocked trout, smallmouth bass, crappie and pickerel.
Learn MoreHawley, PA
Find ample room to spread out and set up your ice camp on this massive, 5,700-acre, man-made lake in the heart of the Pocono Mountains. Target bass, walleye, perch, panfish, stocked trout and more. The lake also features several public access points.
Learn MoreGreentown, PA
Promised Land State Park offers two incredible options for ice fishing in the Pocono Mountains. The 422-acre Promised Land Lake and the 173-acre Lower Lake are full of feisty panfish, largemouth and small mouth bass, pickerel and perch. Lower Lake also holds stocked trout.
Learn MorePrompton, PA
Head to Prompton State Park in the northern Pocono Mountains to take on the ice at this 290-acre lake. This ice fishing favorite often produces healthy bounties of yellow perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass and crappie.
Learn MoreTobyhanna, PA
Venture into the southern Pocono Mountains to this 170-acre lake located within Tobyhanna State Park. As a warmwater fishery, the lake holds healthy populations of bass, pickerel, yellow perch, panfish and even some stocked brook and brown trout.
Learn MoreBarnesville, PA
Make your way to the south end of NEPA’s Valley Communities region for amazing ice fishing action on this 96-acre lake inside Tuscarora State Park. The Schuylkill County hotspot offers bass, muskie, perch, pickerel and stocked trout.
Learn MoreFollow these helpful tips from PA DCNR.
— Test ice thickness with an auger before recreating. Four inches of solid ice is the minimum recommended thickness for a single person. Seven inches of solid ice is the minimum recommended thickness for small group.
— Always carry safety equipment and know how to use it.
— Spread out. Crowds can put too much weight onto one area.
— Be aware of changes in ice thickness across a body of water. Perimeter ice is weaker due to shifting, expansion and sunlight reflecting off of the bottom.
— Avoid areas with protruding logs, brush, plants, and docks. These structures absorb heat, weakening the surrounding ice.
— Avoid areas with multiple or intersecting cracks, and standing water over ice.
— Venturing out on ice alone is not advisable. Take a friend along for fun and for safety.
— Wear a PFD (life jacket).
— Check the weather and plan accordingly. Several days with temperatures above freezing will weaken the ice.